An activist threw a bucket of red paint at exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as he left a press conference in Berlin on Thursday.
The incident occurred as Pahlavi was exiting the building where the press conference was held. A woman approached him and said, "We love you, keep up your efforts!" Moments later, a man hurled a bucket of paint at him. Pahlavi's security detail quickly overpowered the suspect, who was then arrested by local police. Pahlavi himself made his way to his vehicle, waving to his supporters before leaving the scene.
Video: Activist douses Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi in red fluid. Credit: X/ @SinanAkyuz73
"Diplomacy has had enough chances"
During the press conference, Pahlavi sharply criticized the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, saying it was based on the mistaken assumption that the behavior of the Tehran regime would suddenly change. "I don't see that happening," he said. "I'm not saying diplomacy shouldn't be given a chance, but I think it has had enough chances."
The goal: leading Iran's transition
Pahlavi, who has lived in exile for more than 50 years since his father was deposed, has been trying to position himself as the figure who would lead the country in the aftermath of the ayatollah regime's fall. Following the elimination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28, Pahlavi declared that the Iranian people had asked him to lead the political transition process.
"The Iranian people called on me to lead the transition after the regime disappears. I have accepted that responsibility," Pahlavi said, calling on Arab nations to recognize a future transitional government and encouraging the protesters who took to the streets against the regime in December. His chances of returning to power, however, appear to remain low at this stage.
